Grasslands
by Hakuei's Cooking
Summary: According to Myers, fire has the highest compatibility with wind.


**Disclaimer: Magi is the property of Shinobu Ohtaka and Shogakukan.**

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 **Grasslands**

The wind combed through the grassy area that extended in all directions as far as the eyes could see. A black and red cape flapped rapidly in the wind, and long, silky tresses waved in the air like a banner along with the ribbon that bound them.

"O spirit of fear and mediation..."

"O spirit of chaos and mad love..."

A masculine and a feminine voice began chanting in unison as an eight-pointed star symbol stamped onto a sword and a fan began glowing eerily. White feathers sprouted from the back of the hands holding the fan that grew as tall as its owner, and red dragon scales that glowed in the sunlight like embers coated the hand that wielded the sword that once belonged to the white hero. A moment of silence followed with the woman taking a fighting stance, the look in her eyes focused and resolute. Her opponent on the other hand just remained stationary with his sword by his side, and she let out a cry as she charged at him.

A sharp ring akin to that of a tuned fork echoed in the wilderness when the fan in which Paimon's spirit dwelled collided with Astaroth's sword. The corner of Kouen's mouth curled up and Hakuei scowled as the wind that would have sent anyone flying only stoked the eternal flames.

The clash of metal against metal went on. Every clank was accompanied by a growl or a groan that escaped Hakuei's lips, all of her efforts to pluck Kouen's sword off his fists only pushed her back against him as he deflected her strikes with ease. Kouen on the other hand just admired the look on Hakuei's face, her eyes that regarded him defiantly stimulated a primal instinct in him. Even though she was aware of his strength and her weakness, she was still determined to find an opening and sneak a win at him. The urge to go easy on her and the desire to stress on his superiority and make her submit to him clashed within him, but in the end he concluded it would do her no good if she ended up overestimating her own abilities. Guilt nipped at him when Hakuei let out a cry as he knocked Paimon's fan off her hands.

"Pick it up," He ordered with a motion of his head in the direction where the metal vessel that had shrunken back to its original size fell.

After Hakuei did as she had been told, the lower half of her face was concealed behind her fan while she rethought her strategy. In sorcery, fire had the best compatibility with wind. The only thing Paimon's wind could do against Astaroth's flames was fueling them and making them spread. They could also be used as a protective wall around Kouen while he replenished his magoi, changed djinn equips or prepared for an attack. It did not make her feel weak before him knowing all her metal vessel could do was empower his, on the contrary: it made her feel needed and filled her with a sense of superiority over him.

She then remembered why she had requested this spar in the first place: her swordsmanship had already been noted by her teachers and Kouen himself to be exceptional; what she needed was more field training with her metal vessel. She wanted to learn from him who she regarded as the best. Ever since Kouen started his military campaign seven years ago, followed five years later by her being appointed a general, their time spent together had become scarce.

When wind began swirling around Hakuei, Kouen followed suit with white flames engulfing him and transforming him into a half-man, half-demon. Their horses neighed in the distance, sensing danger when two eight pointed stars appeared high in the sky, one was smaller than the other. Next, wind and flames interlaced like a braid and turned into a flaming tornado that drew a straight line across the green space.

"You've gotten stronger," Kouen noted, smiling at Hakuei when she approached him, her eyes silently asking him for his verdict. "Your magoi also seems to have increased in quantity since the battle against the Medium."

Heat rushed to Hakuei's cheeks, satisfied at their team work and the extreme magic combo that they had just come up with.

"I think Paimon can work with Vinea as well," Kouen added while holding his chin, thinking about the potential of such a combination. "How about thinking up a magic combo with Kougyoku?"

Hakuei just maintained that smile after he had handed her that homework, not knowing about that. Ever since they had met, she could tell Kougyoku didn't like her for some reason. She wasn't sure whether this was a good opportunity that will bring them closer or it will just end up making things even more strained between them.

"Then..."

"Wait, general Kouen!"

Hakuei, who had interpreted Kouen's 'then' as 'let's get back to the ground, un-equip and take a break until your magoi is restored', exclaimed, interrupting his descent. Kouen then watched quizzically as she, while lowering her eyes bashfully, extended her hand towards his bicep and ran her fingers over the dragon scales that covered it. They were hard and cold. She had already concluded what their texture and temperature could be like after seeing Aladdin in his grip when they were surrounded by the Seven Seas Alliance. She recalled how Kougyoku retracted her hand in pain after placing it on Alibaba's shoulder, indicating how hot it was in comparison.

Her hand moved up to his hair while Kouen kept watching her silently. His hair that covered his scalp and reached down to his shoulders was as soft as it always looked. She traced his chin and fingered his goatee, noting its texture hadn't changed due to the transformation as well. The section that reached down from his shoulders to his waist was hard, scaly and split at the ends, apparently emulating the snakes that she had heard Astaroth had in place of hair. She finally took a step back to take an overall look at him: he looked sinister, yet had a noble bearing. He was beautiful.

When their feet touched the ground, Kouen complied with her second request. His body shrunk down to half its size and fur of a deep maroon replaced the dragon scales. Hakuei crouched on one knee to match his height, the look on her face softening as his small size and the baby fat stimulated her maternal instinct. She began examining him, all of her earlier bashfulness evaporating.

 _'So, this is how general Kouen looked before I was even born...'_

Like earlier, Kouen just watched Hakuei while she ran her fingers through his hair, compared the size of his left hand to hers and playfully pinched his chubby cheeks with her chuckling softly when he pouted in response. A chill traveled up his spine when she moved onto his tail and traced its length, stroking the big, furry end several times before placing it against her cheek. His left hand then left his side and began his own examination of her, starting with the fluffy feathers that outlined her face. Her skin that made contact with the back of his hand was incredibly soft and her clean, flowery scent filled his nostrils and soothed him. With her silver hair, ruby eyes and this voluptuous body that she normally kept hidden beneath layers of pink robes, she looked like a completely different person. Though, her demeanor and scent was still that of the woman he had known for years.

Before he knew it, she was no longer that tomboy who was trailing behind Hakuyuu and Hakuren and would practice swordplay over playing kemari. Lately, she had been occupying his thoughts and he had found himself craving her company. Around her, he found himself letting his guard down and talking about things he would not even talk to Koumei about.

When Kouen retracted his hand, Hakuei sat down on the grass and pulled him onto her lap, the back of his head nestling on her chest when she wrapped her arms around him. She was soft and warm and he could sense her heartbeat against his skull. He contained a snort: it seemed it had not occurred to her yet that even though he now had the body of a child, he still retained the mentality of a grown man who found her extremely attractive. The tip of his tail played with the feathers on her leg, wondering if she from now on would offer her lap to him to take a nap on.

The wind blew across the grasslands with the two silently enjoying this short peace in each other's company. Before long, Hakuei nodded off with her face buried in Kouen's hair, and the latter tuned his ears to her soft breathing while he watched the movement of the clouds across the sky.


End file.
